Gothic Song | Beautiful bride

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Gérard Labrunie (1808 - 1855), as Gérard de Nerval

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Belle épousée

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG ENG

Belle épousée
J'aime tes pleurs!
C'est la rosée
Qui sied aux fleurs.

Les belles choses
N'ont qu'un printemps,
Semons de roses
Les pas du Temps!

Soit brune ou blonde
Faut-il choisir?
Le Dieu du monde,
C'est le Plaisir.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Gérard Labrunie (1808 - 1855), as Gérard de Nerval, "Chanson gothique", written 1849 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Georges Auric (1899 - 1983), "Chanson gothique", 1925, published 1925 [ medium voice and piano ], from Cinq Poèmes de Gérard de Nerval, no. 2, Paris, Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
by Armand-Marie Ghislain Limnander van Nieuwenhove, Baron (1814 - 1892), no title, 1849 [ voice and orchestra ], from opera Les Monténégrins, Act II, Scene 5 [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (David Jonathan Justman) , "Gothic song", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Gothic Song", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 38

Gothic Song

Language: English after the French (Français)

Beautiful bride,
I love your tears!
Dew is what
Most befits flowers.

Beautiful things 
Have but one spring;
Let's strew with roses
The footprints of Time!

Brunette or blonde—
Must we choose?
The God of the world 
Is Pleasure.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Gérard Labrunie (1808 - 1855), as Gérard de Nerval, "Chanson gothique", written 1849
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 39